Hospital volunteer honored for service

Oxnard 2/9/11 David Yamamoto/Special to the Star
Patty Paumier, manager of the gift shop at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, was honored by Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, with a Cardinal's Award for her volunteer work in the community.

David Yamamoto/Special to the Star
Patty Paumier, manager of the gift shop at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, helps St. John's employee Terry-Lynn Swears with her merchandise. Paumier was honored by Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, with a Cardinal's Award for her volunteer work in the community.

David Yamamoto/Special to the Star
Patty Paumier, manager of the gift shop at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, receives a hug last week from a colleague, the Rev. Calin Tamiian, a chaplain for St. John's Regional Medical Center. Paumier was honored by Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, with a Cardinal's Award for her volunteer work in the community.

Volunteering is in Patty Paumier's blood. Even as a little girl growing up in Steubenville, Ohio, she helped out at hospitals and churches, much like her mother, grandmother and grandfather did.

But Paumier doesn't view volunteering as a chore; it's a way of life.

"When you grow up that way that's what you do, you don't think anything of it," said Paumier, who has lived in Oxnard for almost 45 years. Paumier has volunteered at St. John's Regional Medical Center for 40 years, and today she manages the gift shop there.

Paumier was one of five recipients of the Cardinal's Award for her volunteer efforts at the hospital and within the Catholic Church. The awards dinner was held Saturday at the Kodak Theatre and also honored Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, for his 25 years of service. Mahony will retire at the end of the month.

Paumier said the awards ceremony, which her husband called "the Academy Awards for volunteers," was beautiful and humbling. Her family, friends and colleagues were there to cheer her on.

The call about receiving the honor came on Mother's Day last year. The person on the other end of the line claimed to be Mahony, but Paumier was sure it was one of her sons playing a prank on her. When he said he needed a favor, Paumier knew it really was the cardinal.

She said she was used to being behind the scenes of awards, not center stage.

"I was caught off-guard," Paumier said. "You do what you do because you want to do it, you don't even think about it in terms of recognition or getting an award."

Paumier has contributed more than 42,000 volunteer hours to the hospital, where she started working as a tour guide for expectant families. The gift shop she manages donates more than $200,000 to the hospital every year, and she has also organized fundraisers for the hospital community. Paumier said the gift shop serves as a much-needed getaway for both hospital employees and visitors.

"It's not just the fact that we donate to the hospital and are able to furnish the hospital with many things, I think we do a lot for the hospital otherwise," she said.

Her dedication is evident in her office space behind the shop, which is adorned with trinkets and family photos.

"She's been nothing but the best," said Lamar Rodriguez, 83, a volunteer at the gift shop. "She's a lady who can't say no."

The Rev. Calin Tamiian, a chaplain at St. John's who comes into the gift shop occasionally, said he was happy to hear the news of Paumier's award.

"The one thing about Patty is that she's very present in all ways possible. The depth to which she reaches out to people is what I would like to commend her for," Tamiian said. "I am honored myself by the fact that she is being honored. The entire community is honored."

Paumier's services span beyond the hospital community; she worked as an elementary school teacher in Oxnard, was on the board of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce and won numerous awards, including Oxnard Woman of the Year. She is the only recipient of the Cardinal's Award from Ventura County.

"I love the fact that I can represent this area because I'm so proud of it. I spend a lot of time doing things and working here," Paumier said. "I'm happy to be able to say, 'this is where I'm from.'"